The Committee of the Regions

The European Committee of the Regions (CoR) is one of the two advisory bodies of the EU, composed of elected representatives at local and regional level, drawn from all the Member States.

The CoR allows regions and cities to participate formally in the development of EU legislation. The European Commission, the Council of the EU and the European Parliament should consult the CoR when drafting legislation on matters related to local and regional administration, such as health, education, employment, social policy, economic and social cohesion, transport, energy and climate change.

When the CoR receives a legislative proposal, it drafts and adopts an opinion and sends it to the relevant EU institutions. In addition, the CoR also issues opinions on its own initiative.

The Committee of the Regions and the ORs

The outermost regions have 3 permanent members in the CoR, namely the President of the Autonomous Community of the Canary Islands, the Presidents of the Autonomous Regions of the Azores and Madeira as well as the President of the Regional Council of Reunion island and Guadeloupe.

The active participation of ORs in the CoR makes this body an attentive spokesperson defending the reality of those regions most remote from mainland Europe, especially through regularly introducing amendments in its draft opinions.

Since 1994, opinions on the outermost regions have been adopted:

• • Opinion on the problems of the outermost regions and the application of Article 299. Rapporteur: Mr Karam President of Guyana, DOCE C / 144, 05/16/2001.
• • Opinion on the Commission Communication – A stronger partnership for the outermost regions. Rapporteur Adán Martín DOUE C / 71 of 22/03/2005.
• • Opinion on a “Strategy for the Outermost Regions: Achievements and future Prospects”, Rapporteur : President Paulino Rivero. DOUE C / 172 of 5/07/2008.
• • Opinion “The Outermost Regions of the EU in the light of the Europe 2020 Strategy”. Malcolm Mifsud (MT / EPP). Approved in February 2013.
• • Opinion “Towards full implementation of the renewed European Strategy for the Outermost Regions. Fernando Clavijo Batlle. Approved in February 2018.
• • Draft Opinion of the Regions Committee “European Commission report on the implementation the renewed strategic partnership with the EU’s outermost regions”, approved on december 2020.